Eric “The American Solider” Prindle (9-1 MMA, 3-0 BFC) is as honest as Thiago Santos (10-1 MMA, 2-0 BFC) about what he plans to do in the finals of Bellator’s season-five heavyweight tournament.

“He’s a black belt from Brazil,” Prindle said of his opponent. “I’m going to do what I can to keep the fight standing and let my hands go. If I do that, as the rounds go on I think it will be better odds to win it.”

The pair headline Saturday’s Bellator 59, which takes place at Caesar’s Atlantic City in Atlantic City, N.J. Main-card fights air live on MTV2 while prelims stream on Spike.com.

Prindle has made good use of his hands in the tournament so far, outpointing “The Ultimate Fighter 10″ veteran Abe Wagner in the quarterfinals before knocking out Ron Sparks in 40 seconds in the semifinals.

The KO couldn’t have come at a better time for Prindle, an Army veteran who trains alongside Bellator vet Josh Burns and current heavyweight champ Cole Konrad at Team Death Clutch.

“A lot of people didn’t know I was injured,” Prindle said. “I got the win and got lucky. I was watching his previous fights and it seemed like every time he threw a leg kick he dropped his aim. I thought he was going to shoot in on me while he was falling.”

Instead, Sparks hit the canvas and he went to the finals. It was Prindle’s seventh consecutive win since he rebooted his career three years ago.

But Prindle might not be so lucky against Santos. Whether Saturday’s fight is a standup affair or a grappling match, he knows danger lurks everywhere.

“There is part of me that has been planning to fight Santos for a few months,” Prindle said.

Santos earned his way to the finals by tapping out Burns in the quarterfinals and knocking Neil Grove senseless before cinching a choke in the semifinals.

“I was not surprised that Santos had what it took to knock Neil on his ass,” Prindle said. “I think any time you get caught with a heavyweight throwing a punch you are going to land on your ass if it connects.”

Prindle just hopes that it’s him that does it first.

“I feel like I have to be first and then be last,” he said. “Throwing punches, not hard but fast. If I can perform the way I am doing in the gym and know I did the best job, I will be happy.”

If he wins the tournament, Prindle will be forced to confront another teammate in Konrad. He shared cheesecake with Burns after they made their Bellator debut together, so he’s not particularly concerned about the prospect of sacking a relationship. But thinking about getting a title shot is definitely something he shies away from.

“When you do that, you are letting in the demons to be too full of yourself, and that’s when you get hurt and start losing,” Prindle said. “I think any heavyweight in there that’s doing MMA can lose. Someone can get you just right and you go to sleep and you lost.

“I don’t ever want to look past anyone. I don’t think Santos got lucky. Santos has a good game. He is strong. I am going to be there to do whatever I can to win.”

If he can avenge Burns’ loss, though, that might be a bonus.

“I don’t want to make the same mistakes Josh did,” Prindle said. “I want to be able to accomplish what I am set out to do and go out there and fight. I’m not going to go out there looking for payback because when you do that it never comes. I’m going to go in there and just let my hands go.”

The way he sees it, there’s no point in hiding that fact. So if you want a preview of what’s going to happen on Saturday night, there you have it.

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